1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of treating tobacco fine cut. Tobacco fine cut is a grade or blend of tobacco sold in pouches or cans for individual production of cigarettes by rolling or plugging. For this final application the final cut is usually treated substantially in the following steps:
moistening and casing (saucing) the tobacco to obtain a moisture content of approximately 18%, PA1 cutting the tobacco at a moisture content of approximately 18%, PA1 conditioning the tobacco to obtain a moisture content of approximately 24%, PA1 drying the tobacco in a separate dryer to obtain a moisture content of approximately 17.5%, PA1 screening and cooling the tobacco to obtain a moisture content of approximately 16.5%, PA1 flavoring the tobacco.
2. Description of the Related Art
In prior art the tobacco is rendered very moist (24% moisture content) in the conditioning step. In the final product the moisture content of the fine cut must not exceed a maximum of 17.5 since any higher moisture content may lead to problems, especially where lengthy shipping and storage are involved.
For the above reasons known fine cut treatment methods make use of a dryer with the aid of which the tobacco moisture content is reduced to a value of around 17%.
Employing a dryer, however, has unfavorable effects on the tobacco. Due to the tobacco fibers of the fine cut being longer as a rule than in cut tobacco for machine-produced cigarettes it has a greater tendency to tangle which in part cannot be untangled in the dryer.
Those tobacco tangles fail to be adequately dried out in their interior sections which may result in a non-homogeneous moisture content throughout the final product.
In addition to this, the tobacco, when excessively dried loses desired aroma substances which may need to be refurbished later on.